AERA Safety Standards & Environmental Compliance 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An engine rebuilder discovers that a customer's engine contains asbestos-containing gasket material. Under EPA and OSHA rules, the shop must:
- Proceed normally since asbestos is only regulated in buildings
- Follow OSHA's asbestos standard (29 CFR 1910.1001) for general industry (Correct answer)
- Discard all gasket material without notification
- Transfer the engine to a body shop for handling
Correct answer: Follow OSHA's asbestos standard (29 CFR 1910.1001) for general industry
OSHA's general industry asbestos standard (29 CFR 1910.1001) applies to automotive brake and clutch work as well as gaskets, requiring specific work practices and PPE.
Question 2: Which federal agency's regulations govern the underground storage tank (UST) system that holds the shop's fuel for engine testing?
- OSHA under the PSM standard
- EPA under 40 CFR Part 280 (Correct answer)
- DOT under 49 CFR
- ATF under federal explosives law
Correct answer: EPA under 40 CFR Part 280
EPA's underground storage tank regulations at 40 CFR Part 280 govern UST systems, including release detection, corrosion protection, and spill/overfill prevention.
Question 3: The OSHA noise standard requires that a hearing conservation program be implemented when employee noise exposure reaches or exceeds:
- 75 dBA as an 8-hour TWA
- 85 dBA as an 8-hour TWA (Correct answer)
- 90 dBA as an 8-hour TWA
- 95 dBA as an 8-hour TWA
Correct answer: 85 dBA as an 8-hour TWA
OSHA's hearing conservation program under 29 CFR 1910.95 is triggered at an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA (the Action Level), though the PEL is 90 dBA.
Question 4: When an engine rebuilding shop generates spent coolant (antifreeze) containing glycol, the MOST environmentally compliant disposal method is:
- Pour it down the floor drain into the municipal sewer
- Recycle it through a licensed coolant recycler or antifreeze recycling program (Correct answer)
- Dilute it with water until it is no longer toxic, then dispose
- Burn it in the shop's waste oil heater
Correct answer: Recycle it through a licensed coolant recycler or antifreeze recycling program
Recycling spent coolant through licensed programs is the preferred method; pouring glycol into sewers violates the Clean Water Act and burning may violate air regulations.
Question 5: A shop's right-to-know station must include all of the following EXCEPT:
- Safety Data Sheets for all hazardous chemicals used
- OSHA's 'Job Safety and Health: It's the Law' poster
- Employee training records for hazard communication
- Customer vehicle inspection reports (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Customer vehicle inspection reports
Customer vehicle inspection reports are not required at a right-to-know station; SDS, OSHA poster, and HazCom training documentation are core requirements.
Question 6: Under RCRA, the 90-day accumulation time limit for hazardous waste storage applies to which generator category?
- Very Small Quantity Generators (VSQG)
- Small Quantity Generators (SQG)
- Large Quantity Generators (LQG) (Correct answer)
- Conditionally Exempt Generators (CEG)
Correct answer: Large Quantity Generators (LQG)
Large Quantity Generators (generating ≥1,000 kg/month of hazardous waste) may store waste on-site for no more than 90 days without a storage permit.
Question 7: Which safety color is OSHA's convention for marking physical hazards such as stumbling, falling, or striking hazards in a machine shop?
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow (Correct answer)
- Blue
Correct answer: Yellow
OSHA's safety color code uses yellow to designate caution and physical hazards including those related to striking, tripping, and falling.
AERA Safety Standards & Environmental Compliance 4
An engine rebuilder discovers that a customer's engine contains asbestos-containing gasket material.
Under EPA and OSHA rules, the shop must: